A youthful Fremantle team has earned the praise of Mark Robinson, with the AFL 360 co-host applauding the efforts of the young Dockers during Sunday’s clash with Adelaide at Optus Stadium.
Without captain Nat Fyfe and lead ruckman Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle emerged three-point winners against the 2017 grand finalists.
Arguably, Fremantle’s best two players on the ground were aged under 20-years-old, with 18-year-old Adam Cerra (30 disposals) and 19-year-old Brennan Cox (four goals) starring on the day.
Cox was rewarded with the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination from round 12.
“It was glorious to watch,” Robinson said on Fox Footy during Monday night’s episode of AFL 360.
“Whether you barrack for any team in any sporting contest, when there’s an underdog and that underdog fights and scraps, and it’s the unlikely people who stand up and make a difference, you’re really proud of their performance.
“To go in the rooms and sing the song without Fyfe and Sandilands, it was huge for these kids.”
Robinson listed a number of young Fremantle players who are catching his eye.
“(Connor) Blakely’s been great for a year and a half. Cox kicked four goals. Cerra, the young fella from Melbourne, he is an emerging star that bloke,” Robinson said.
“He is playing the sort of football after 10 games, you think, how good is this kid going to be when he grows up?
“This can be a game changer for the Dockers.”
